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[The squirrel]

We have had a huge response to an advert for a trainee site agent.  We stipulated that we want a Building Surveying degree, and we need a way to filter out candidates so that we only get the better ones.  Would using the criteria of rejecting the ones with only a 2.2 degree be a fair way?

Cheers

Squirrel

[Keith Williams]

Seems reasonable; you might want to be flexible with 2:2 candidates if they look impressive, but draw the line at 3rds.

[The squirrel]

Seems reasonable; you might want to be flexible with 2:2 candidates if they look impressive, but draw the line at 3rds.

What is a third? Never knew a 3rd was possible.  Do the kids who only turn up on day one and are never seen again get a third?  I believe a 2.2 is where a student attends on day one, gets issued a libary card and 3 years later spends his last night at Uni downloading crap of the web for presentation the next day as "course work".   

[Keith Williams]

It goes 1st, 2:1, 2:2, 3rd, Pass, Fail

Depends on the subject: Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science graduates can respectably get a 2:2, but arts degrees are easier (this is from a history graduate - 2:1 of course!).

[Chris]

A Uni degree is all well and good on paper, but I would also take into account someone with basic common sense, life knowledge, practical hands on skills and one that didn't think the world owed them a living just because they had spent a few years at University.  

I have intervewed dozens if not hundreds with so called good degrees and to be honest, very few have had any of the above and in a few cases I have employed those with no degrees at all and gone for someone who just knew what they wanted and was willing to work his / her arse off to prove they are worth keeping on.

So to base your whole rejection criteria on just a 1, 2.1, 2.2, 6,7,8,9 whatever IMO is flawed, you may just miss out on a gem of an employee who just needs a chance in life.

[Keith Williams]

My dad used to say: "the degree gets you the interview, after that it's all down to you."

Actually, he usually followed it with "go to university because it's your last chance to have fun before 40-odd years of work grind you down", but we'll gloss over that